How To Have The Easiest And Best Transition Possible

[Guest AmyB]

Hopefully this will be useful for others too. What can I do now to help my transition be as successful as possible and of course end up looking good? I don't really look female yet and am pre-hormones (booked to see Dr Richard Curtis soon), but I'm trying to live as much as a girl as I can and as "de-maled" as possible to make my transition as smooth and natural as possible. What can I do to smooth things along?

so far:

• I'm already full-time 24/7 andro (girl's jeans, tops, underwear etc) or girly (getting more and more openly girly each day).
  
• Removing male clothes from wardrobe.
  
• I don't use the men's bathroom at work; only use the unisex bathroom. (I didn't realise how scared I was of the men's bathroom!)
  
• Shave legs etc.
  
• Credit card just has my initials and surname (no title).
  
• I'm using "Miss" as my title on everything I can (but not legal things like insurance as that might invalidate it).
  
• Out to girlfriend, parents, brother, sister, girlfriend's family & friends, some of my friends (only one more good friend to tell, plus a few others who I don't see regularly because they live far away). All are accepting, apart from brother who is just "ok".
  
• Getting counselling (two sessions done, 12 more booked).
  
• Booked to see Dr Curtis.
  
• Growing my hair. (I'm seeking professional help because my hair has already started thinning even though I'm only just 25 Finasteride? Minoxidil? Hair transplants?)
  
• Working on not repressing "girly" mannerisms and movements (as I have for years) and instead actively cultivating them.
  
• Learning about makeup and letting myself have all the girly things (e.g. nail polish) that I've always wanted.
  
• Saving all the money I can.
  
• Working to secure long term job prospects.
  
• Exercising to loosing weight (I'm at the upper end of normal for my hight) so I can put it back on in the right places with hormones.
  

Still to do:

• Find a useful and friendly speech therapist. (My voice isn't deep, but I need some help to give it some more feminine aspects e.g. for on the telephone).
  
• Find long term (10 - 15 years+) semem crypopreservation service. (Sarah and I want a family in the future.)
  
• Figure out what I need in terms of laser/electrolysis and get a consultation (dark gingery blond facial hair, grizzly coloured body hair.)
  
• Let my university know (holding off until I'm on hormones and settled, no need for them to know at the moment).
  

Can you think of anything else I can do to help? Is there anything I've missed off the list? What have you found useful to do? What do you wish you did sooner? (apart from the whole thing! I wish that too!).

Amy

[Sally]

Amy,

That is an amazing list!

You have thought things through and are so well organized that transitioning for you will be a little easier - it never goes by the numbers bit it is such a good idea to have a plan.

Reading through it right now I can not think of anything that you have left out - but I will be thinking about it as the day goes on and if I think of something I;ll pop back in and post it.

Good job and thanks for the willingness to help others even while just in the early stages - everyone has ideas and this is a great place to share them.

Love ya,

Sally

[Carolyn Marie]

Amy, that's an awesome list. You've really got a plan, and I think that is such

a critical thing.

I'm in much the same place as you (albeit with 30 years more mileage on the odometer )

so your list is very helpful to me. I'm going to save it.

Thank You!

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Donna Jean]

OMG!

That is SO cool!

You know, I've had my plan in my head from the start...yet, I've never sat down and listed it all out like this. It's really incredible~

To see it down like that and being able to cross off items as they are accomplished...WOW!

I really like it!

Thanks, Honey.....

*sharpens pencil*

Donna Jean

[Guest viv]

Hopefully this will be useful for others too. What can I do now to help my transition be as successful as possible and of course end up looking good? I don't really look female yet and am pre-hormones (booked to see Dr Richard Curtis soon), but I'm trying to live as much as a girl as I can and as "de-maled" as possible to make my transition as smooth and natural as possible. What can I do to smooth things along?

so far:

• I'm already full-time 24/7 andro (girl's jeans, tops, underwear etc) or girly (getting more and more openly girly each day).
  
• Removing male clothes from wardrobe.
  
• I don't use the men's bathroom at work; only use the unisex bathroom. (I didn't realise how scared I was of the men's bathroom!)
  
• Shave legs etc.
  
• Credit card just has my initials and surname (no title).
  
• I'm using "Miss" as my title on everything I can (but not legal things like insurance as that might invalidate it).
  
• Out to girlfriend, parents, brother, sister, girlfriend's family & friends, some of my friends (only one more good friend to tell, plus a few others who I don't see regularly because they live far away). All are accepting, apart from brother who is just "ok".
  
• Getting counselling (two sessions done, 12 more booked).
  
• Booked to see Dr Curtis.
  
• Growing my hair. (I'm seeking professional help because my hair has already started thinning even though I'm only just 25 Finasteride? Minoxidil? Hair transplants?)
  
• Working on not repressing "girly" mannerisms and movements (as I have for years) and instead actively cultivating them.
  
• Learning about makeup and letting myself have all the girly things (e.g. nail polish) that I've always wanted.
  
• Saving all the money I can.
  
• Working to secure long term job prospects.
  
• Exercising to loosing weight (I'm at the upper end of normal for my hight) so I can put it back on in the right places with hormones.
  

Still to do:

• Find a useful and friendly speech therapist. (My voice isn't deep, but I need some help to give it some more feminine aspects e.g. for on the telephone).
  
• Find long term (10 - 15 years+) semem crypopreservation service. (Sarah and I want a family in the future.)
  
• Figure out what I need in terms of laser/electrolysis and get a consultation (dark gingery blond facial hair, grizzly coloured body hair.)
  
• Let my university know (holding off until I'm on hormones and settled, no need for them to know at the moment).
  

Can you think of anything else I can do to help? Is there anything I've missed off the list? What have you found useful to do? What do you wish you did sooner? (apart from the whole thing! I wish that too!).

Amy

Jeepers Amy , you really are on the road girl and fair play to you. I have not started hrt yet either but hope to around Dec. .Re. losing weight , I am doing same as you and my advice there would be careful not to go too far as you will need to be healthy to have a successful transition .....talk to your doc re same. Laser will be ouch ouch ouch , get as much hair removed prior to hormones as they will make you much more sensitive to pain ( ouch ouch scream scream ) .Good idea to get involved with a self help group and there are lots to choose from in U.K.. Cant think of anything else at the moment but will post again if I do. Best of luck, Viv.

[Guest krisspykriss]

I started to act more feminine at all times, once I made my decision. I didnt care how I was dressed, I worked on mannerism, posture, gait, and even voice. I dont utilize my "girl voice" pitch in guy mode, but I do utilize the melody, rhythm, tonality at all times. Heck, if you have a good natural sounding girl voice now, I would use it at all times now as well. Mine is just not ready for prim time. The rest though, you can do and not get too much negative attention. You will just come off to others a femme gay guy. I would use the girl voice pitch all the time but like I said, it just isn't quite there yet and sounds fake, or I make funny faces while doing it.

Anyway, you sound like you have a good plan of action and know what you need to do. That helps a lot.

One of the reasons I think doing the mannerism and posture and gait before presenting a female is, it gave the people I know and interact with to get adjusted to the changes. I did it kinda slowly over time. The next thing i knew, my friends were already kinda seeing me as girl even though I was still presenting as a man still physically. I only had someone actually question me about the changes a couple times, and said I was tired of pretending I am this manly man when I am not. A couple people did ask if I was in the process of coming out about being gay. All in all though, it was fairly smooth and I had friends wanting to see me in girl-mode before I was ready myself. I really think getting the mannerisms and all the other stuff down before presenting a female with your attire and other visual things is important to a smooth transition when your doing it around people you interact with on a day to day basis. Basically show them the girl from your attitude and the way you conduct yourself and then introduce them slowly to changes in your visual appearance.

Just my opinion. Maybe that helps. I think it made a big difference for me.

hugz,

Chrissy

[Guest sparkles]

Hi amy im a lot like you in that im becoming less male over time and this seems to be working really well

so far:

• I'm already full-time 24/7 andro (girl's jeans, tops, underwear etc) or girly (getting more and more openly girly each day).
  ive gone from andro wardrobe to female clothing full time though still not girly yet no skirts, shoes seem to be
  the biggest thing people notice
  
• Removing male clothes from wardrobe.
  nearly got rid of them all though its amazing what you find in the back
  
• I don't use the men's bathroom at work; only use the unisex bathroom. (I didn't realise how scared I was of the men's bathroom!)
  i use the unisex ones now, im out at work though HR said that i need to offically change gender to use the female ones seems fair to me
  
• Shave legs etc.
  can not remember when they had hair hoping the hormones will slow it down a bit as its a pain, got to the point when i think
  its strange when i see hair there
  
• Credit card just has my initials and surname (no title).
  have a girl in a shop tell me my husband would need to come in to return something i payed for on card so might need to sort this too.
  
• I'm using "Miss" as my title on everything I can (but not legal things like insurance as that might invalidate it).
  just started to do this on things as im finding it harder when people dont and it confuses them too
  
• Out to girlfriend, parents, brother, sister, girlfriend's family & friends, some of my friends (only one more good friend to tell, plus a few others who I don't see regularly because they live far away). All are accepting, apart from brother who is just "ok".
  stopped coming out to people as everyone seems to just accept me might have to do it though if i go offical
  
• Getting counselling (two sessions done, 12 more booked).
  really good and if not living full time the only way to get HRT with a letter from the counselor
  
• Booked to see Dr Curtis.
  been to see him once he was lovely and very helpful too, need to book another apoinment as i now have the bloods done and right number of sessions under my belt to see about some form of hrt, im also under the nhs but thats like waiting for something that never comes been 1 1/2 now
  
• Growing my hair. (I'm seeking professional help because my hair has already started thinning even though I'm only just 25 Finasteride? Minoxidil? Hair transplants?)
  one of my biggest worries this though my hair is ok at the moment can not imagine if i did start losing it would be devistated. also a female hairslye as been great for being seen as female.
  
• Working on not repressing "girly" mannerisms and movements (as I have for years) and instead actively cultivating them.
  this just seems to happend more and more when you except who you are and that you are not just pretending
  
• Learning about makeup and letting myself have all the girly things (e.g. nail polish) that I've always wanted.
  was already good at this bit, though it is now nice to be able to talk to other girls about stuff i know about without pretending i dont.
  
• Saving all the money I can.
  tell me about it train tickets to london private docs laser
  
• Working to secure long term job prospects
  i work in the NHS and they are great and very supportive as you would expect
  
• Exercising to loosing weight (I'm at the upper end of normal for my hight) so I can put it back on in the right places with hormones.
  errrm im trying honest
  

Still to do:

go back and see dr curtis to see about some form of HRT

continue to work thing through with partner so that we grow together.

[Guest angie]

I read on the TS Roadmap years ago,

That a women who goes in educated on our options,

and with a plan of action will have the smoothest transitions.

Mine has gone almost without a hitch.Stick with your plan and

yours will too.

Hugs,

Angie

[Guest Charlene_Leona]

Your right Angie on having a plan, I didn't have mine written down but I knew everything that I needed to do and my transition has worked beautifully for me. One of the things I'd like everyone to realize is this process take 3-5 years to properly work. If you try to do it in a year you are going to be disappointed with yourself an may quit before you have given your body a chance to fully assimilate the hormones you are taking. When I started I knew it was going to take that kind of a time period and I was right, I'm three years in this month and am 3-4 months from having my SRS done. Please take your time do things right and you will see great results, otherwise you'll just be disappointed.

Great things do not occur overnight

Charlene Leona

[Guest angie]

Your right Angie on having a plan, I didn't have mine written down but I knew everything that I needed to do and my transition has worked beautifully for me. One of the things I'd like everyone to realize is this process take 3-5 years to properly work. If you try to do it in a year you are going to be disappointed with yourself an may quit before you have given your body a chance to fully assimilate the hormones you are taking. When I started I knew it was going to take that kind of a time period and I was right, I'm three years in this month and am 3-4 months from having my SRS done. Please take your time do things right and you will see great results, otherwise you'll just be disappointed.

Great things do not occur overnight

Charlene Leona

Sooooooo you are our coming surgical girl...I am so excited and pleased for you Charlene!

I am hoping mine is early next year.(keeping my fingers and toes crossed on this one)

Yes my younger sisters,transition is a time to cherish when everything is so new.Don't be in

an all fired hurry to get through the journey.It is a once in a lifetime experience,and I am

loving every second of mine.I read recently,on another site.That it takes 10 years for our

bodies to completely assimilate into a female.That is 8 1/2 years more of my bod taking on

female aspects,and years to help anyone forget I was ever a (man).

Angie

[Guest Donna Jean]

When I started I knew it was going to take that kind of a time period and I was right, I'm three years in this month and am 3-4 months from having my SRS done. Please take your time do things right and you will see great results, otherwise you'll just be disappointed.

Great things do not occur overnight

Charlene Leona

Dang, Girlfriend!

3-4 months from SRS? That's truly awesome!

I'd like to see you post along the way for us all to see the

process in action and we can be your support....

Where are you going for it?

My letter is already on file with Dr. Preecha In Thailand, but I must do RLT first and I'm not out at work yet....

Also still saving money...

I'm so proud of you Charlele...Please keep us in the loop about all.....OK?

Thanks...

and HUGGS!

Donna Jean

[Guest Charlene_Leona]

Ok that's a promise, I am going to the University of Michigan's Comprehensive Gender Service's Program to have my surgery performed. I will be calling them this morning to see if they have my medical records so I can set my surgical evaluation up. I'm so excited and a little scared but in a good way, my SO has been waiting two years for me to be finished with my surgery. He keeps telling me that he's going to sneak into my bed after the surgery and take advantage of me. Does anyone know where I can get a chastity belt, I think I'm going to need it with Larry ;>

Love

Charlene Leona